Cupid
by CanaanAlphardForever
Summary: Annie loses to Ymir at a game of cards and is forced to confess that she and Mikasa are dating, in front of their group of friends. The only thing is, they aren't actually dating. AU. One-shot. Mikaani.


Ymir's grin was both rakish and demeaning. No matter how many times Annie glared at her, the freckled teen would not drop the grin. She wouldn't stop snickering, either. Krista had no idea what was going on, and so she shared a confused look with her girlfriend every time she spotted Annie's glare, at first thinking it was for her.

"Ymir?" Krista asked softly, leaning into her girlfriend's body. They were all seated outside underneath a tree to the side of the school, legs crossed. Ymir had claimed the tree first and leaned against it, looking like a King after his meal. "Why is Annie glaring at me?"

Ymir snorted, reaching out to ruffle Krista's usually perfect hair. "Not at you, squirt. Those hate eyes are for me."

It didn't clear up the confusion but Krista did feel a rush of relief. She hated having any of their friends mad at her. It broke her heart. "So why is she glaring at you then?"

Ymir shrugged her shoulders as if she didn't know, but it was obvious that she did. Her eyes only seemed to gleam with more mischief as Annie's hateful glare intensified.

Beside Annie, Mikasa finally noticed the intense battle of wills happening between one blonde and one brunette. An immaculate black eyebrow lifted, but she stilled her tongue and turned to look at Eren. He was talking excitedly to Armin while chewing at the same time, and almost with supernatural instinct Mikasa reached out to slap his back a second before bread lodged into his air pipe and he coughed violently.

Annie finally broke away from her glare to look over at Eren, rolling her eyes at the boy's inability to eat without almost killing himself and Mikasa's obsession with his wellbeing. When Annie turned back to Ymir, the brunette's smile had become even more devilish—if that was even possible.

Ymir, sensing that time was running short and she had to act swiftly, stretched a long leg to nudge Annie's knee. She withdrew her limb quickly once Annie turned, more than sure that the blonde would have grabbed her ankle or something—maybe even bitten her.

Grinning, Ymir lifted her wrist and tapped it. _Time is running out, blondie._

Annie sighed and pressed her thumb and forefinger against the bridge of her nose. Besides the headache slowly throbbing at her temple, her heart was thumping too unevenly and her breaths almost came out as short gasps. No one but Ymir could see it—Annie was terrified. Ymir cleared her throat once, loudly, to gather everyone's attention. When she had it, she nodded once at Annie and spread her lips in another amused grin.

Annie froze at the sudden attention, but knew that she no longer had a choice in the matter. More than that, she hated losing twice. If she did not go through with this, then Ymir would be in her face more than usual. She could see the enjoyment in the eyes of the conniving freckled bitch. It infuriated her. So with a large, sudden breath, Annie cleared her throat and leaned forward. Before she could speak Ymir nudged her again, and then indicated with hand movements that Annie should stand. The blonde did, sending the most awful glare that she could muster as she ascended. Krista flinched. Ymir didn't.

"Is something wrong, Annie?" Armin asked, ever the attentive one. He had probably noted that something was wrong before Annie had even settled in with their group for break.

"No," Annie uttered, voice almost strangled. She cringed at how nervous she felt, and hated that Ymir was enjoying every moment of it.

"Ymir, what are you doing?" Krista whispered fiercely, tugging Ymir down by the front of her shirt.

"Just watch," Ymir answered, hands covering Krista's to release their grip.

"I, um…" Annie felt another throb of pain at her temple. She had been up all night with nerves—she had been dreading this moment for days. But a loss was a loss, and it was her obligation to fulfil her part of the bet. "I have something to say." Her hands clenched and unclenched, but she appeared mostly calm to the others. Only Ymir and Armin seemed to notice the way her chest rose and fell a little too quickly. Mikasa might have had a clue, too, but she seemed far too interested in her cellphone to even lift her head.

"What is it?" Eren asked, curious.

Annie took a breath. Like a plaster, it would be easiest to simply pull it off quickly. All it would take was one simple sentence. Then she could return to the ground and act like nothing was happening—at least she hoped that she could.

"Go on," Ymir encouraged, amusement hidden for now so that fake concern could mask her features. No one really bought it, especially Krista who was gazing at her girlfriend with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

Everyone grew still as they waited, eyes on Annie. The blonde refused to let them see her tremble. Before she did it, she spared a small glance over at the black haired girl beside her. She sent out a small prayer that this wouldn't blow up too badly in her face—and that Ymir would meet with a bitch called karma soon—and then straightened.

"I am in love with Mikasa and we're dating." Despite her best efforts to remain stoic, Annie's face exploded with red heat. She sat down quickly, hands pulling her lunchbox onto her lap. Shakily she grabbed her sandwich and bit off a corner. As she chewed, everyone gaped.

Mikasa had dropped her phone, eyes wide and body frozen. Her brows furrowed and finally she lifted her face to look at Annie. She could see the intense blush on the blonde's pale skin, and it furthered her confusion and embarrassment. "Annie," she uttered softly, firmly. "Can I speak with you alone please?"

Annie had expected it. She carefully closed the lid to her lunchbox and then stood with Mikasa, walking a good distance away until they reached the classrooms. They stopped by a staircase, and Annie could not bring herself to look up even as Mikasa turned to her, lips pressed firmly together.

"I didn't know we were dating," Mikasa stated. She didn't seem upset, but she didn't seem pleased either.

"I can explain," Annie hurried. She hated how pathetic she sounded. "Ymir… she… she made me do it, okay? We played a stupid card game and I lost. We made stupid bets along the way."

For a split second disappointment flashed through Mikasa's eyes. Annie hadn't noticed it, even as she looked up and caught Mikasa's gaze, wondering what was running through her mind.

"Oh." Mikasa herself seemed surprised at the sudden disappointment in her voice. This time Annie noticed, and her heart shot up into her throat.

"Did I just hear… disappointment?"

Mikasa took a step back, appalled. "Of course not!"

"Why are you stepping away?"

"Am not." Mikasa crossed her arms over her chest, brows connected. "Just… how am I supposed to react when you suddenly blurt something like that out?"

"I'm sorry if you're pissed," Annie said quickly. Her heart was still pounding. "Ymir just gets a kick out of fucking me around."

"Why in front of _everyone_, though?"

Annie sighed. "The more humiliated I am the louder she laughs." She kicked moodily at the floor. "Next time I'll dare her to make out with Reiner or something."

Mikasa grew silent with her thoughts. No one had noticed it, really, but Mikasa had blushed as well. She had never expected the usually icy Annie to suddenly spill such intimate words. Her knees were still shaking.

"So all of it was just a bet? There were no feelings at all?"

Annie looked up in surprise. "Well, um…" How could she answer that? The fact was, there were real feelings behind the thoughts. Ymir had somehow picked up on Annie's brooding affection for Mikasa. It had driven her crazy, and somehow Ymir had decided to scratch Annie's competitive side and get her to perform the losing side of the bet. She was a terrible match maker.

Mikasa sighed and rubbed a hand over her cheek. It was warm there. She was blushing. "I mean… it's not that… I just… maybe I don't really mind that you said that… it's just…" She lost her voice quickly and shoved her hands underneath her armpits, shrugging.

Annie chewed her bottom lip. Was this really happening? "Are you saying that you don't mind me telling everyone that I'm in love with you _and_ we're dating?"

Mikasa sighed softly. She was acting more bravely than she felt. "It doesn't have to be untrue…"

Annie nearly choked. "Mikasa, are you serious?"

Mikasa almost seemed offended. She huffed once and turned to leave, but was stopped by Annie's hand clamping down on her arm.

"Are you serious? You're not in on it with Ymir, are you?"

Mikasa refused to look at her but she at least didn't try to leave again. "Ymir was acting all weird today. She said some… odd things, about you and me. That you would have some grand confession that she knew I would love to hear."

Annie swallowed the sudden thickness from her throat.

"So maybe she's right," Mikasa added. "Maybe I was curious to see what you would say. Maybe I was hoping you would say what you said." Annie didn't see the blush on Mikasa's cheeks, spreading out and up from her neck.

Annie was almost speechless. Ymir, that goddamn… this had been her plan all along! It hadn't just been some cruel dare. "Do you… are you saying…?"

"I'm not saying anything that you aren't," Mikasa responded carefully. She finally turned, eyes hopeful and searching. She also appeared immensely embarrassed, and this was the first time Annie had ever seen her like this.

"You know, you look adorable when you blush."

The blush intensified. "I do not blush."

Annie snorted. "Sure." She shoved her hands into her hoody pockets, nibbling on her lower lip again. Taking a breath, she leaned against the wall and shrugged. "So what is it, do you like me or not?"

Mikasa was surprised by the bluntness. She grappled for words, trying to think of some way to either look cool or dodge the bullet. Realizing that there was no real way to avoid the topic, she settled on the only thing her flustered mind could latch onto. "I do."

Blinking in surprise, Annie's hands emerged from her pockets and her arms hung lamely by her sides. Her question had been blunt, but the simple answer hadn't been expected. "Say that again."

"You heard the first time," Mikasa huffed. She averted her eyes to avoid Annie's gaze, not wanting the blonde to see her vulnerability. Trying to appear unaffected, she walked over to Annie and leaned against the wall beside her. Their hands brushed very briefly, but it was enough to widen Annie's eyes and swallow loudly enough for Mikasa to hear. However the conversation developed now, Annie finally knew Mikasa's secret—she had been in love with the short idiot for years. Ymir was the only one that had noticed.

"So you…. You really…?"

Mikasa sighed, crossing her arms over her chest to prevent herself from clasping Annie's hand in her own, and turned to look down into Annie's blue eyes. She paused at the emotions there. It was almost as if an invisible hand tugged her down, and without realizing Mikasa leaned in ever so slightly. Annie sensed it and responded by leaning against Mikasa. She cleared her throat.

"So what do we do now that Ymir has forced us to confess to each other?"

Mikasa, still slightly flustered by Annie's heat now pressed to her side, blinked to clear her mind. The question registered and then she mulled it over. "We could always make her think that her plan failed miserably." Mikasa leaned in just a little more. "That we hate each other instead."

Annie smirked, even as her heartbeat spiked at Mikasa's proximity. "Seeing that smug grin drop off of her face will make my day." Her breath hitched when Mikasa's hand brushed against her own, and then a finger caressed her wrist. But before she could respond in anyway, Mikasa's warmth was gone and the taller girl turned towards the direction they had come.

"So, let's talk strategy on our way back."

Annie heaved a sigh, both disappointed and relieved that Mikasa had moved away, and joined her side. "This is going to be fun."

Mikasa's grin led Annie to believe that after this, a completely different sent of fun events would take place. And she couldn't wait.


End file.
